Conflict Erupts Within WordPress Core Contributor Team

An internal dispute within the WordPress core contributor team has spilled into the open, causing major confusion among people outside the organization. The friction began with a post from more than a week ago and culminated in a remarkable outburst, exposing latent tensions within the core contributor community.

The Trigger: Mary Hubbard’s Announcement

The incident seemingly began with a September 15 announcement by Mary Hubbard, the Executive Director of WordPress. She announced a new Core Program Team that is meant to improve how Core contributor groups coordinate with each other and improve collaboration between Core contributor teams. However, this was just the trigger for the conflict, which was actually part of a longer-term friction.

Hubbard explained the role of the new team, stating that its goal is to strengthen coordination across Core, improve efficiency, and make contribution easier. The Core Program Team will not set product direction, and each Core team remains autonomous. The Program Team’s role is to listen, connect, and reduce friction so contributors can collaborate more smoothly.

Response from the Documentation Team

A member of the documentation team, Jenni McKinnon, responded to Hubbard’s announcement with a post that was eventually removed. McKinnon stated that the Core Program Team announcement was published during an active legal and procedural review that directly affects the structural governance of the project. She claimed that she was one of the appointed officials overseeing the review and that the post and the program it outlines were to be paused in full.

McKinnon also stated that Mary Hubbard holds no valid authority in the matter and that any influence, instruction, or decision traced to her is procedurally invalid. She directed that no action be taken under the name of the Core Program Team until the review concludes and clearance is formally issued.

Roots of the Friction: Documentation Team Participation

The roots of the friction begin with events from a week ago centered on documentation team participation. A September 10 post by documentation team member Estela Rueda informed the Core contributor community that the WordPress 6.9 release squad is experimenting with a smaller team that excludes documentation leads, with only a temporary “Docs Liaison” in place.

Rueda explained why this exclusion is a problem, detailing the importance of documentation in the release cycle and urging that a formal documentation lead role be reinstated in future releases. She emphasized that documentation is not a “nice-to-have” but a survival requirement, and removing the role from the release squad sends the message that documentation is not important.

Accusations of Top-Down Control

Jenni McKinnon responded to Rueda’s post, accusing WordPress Executive Director Mary Hubbard of being behind a shift toward “top-down” control. McKinnon claimed that the proposal to exclude documentation leads from the release squad was pushed forward by Hubbard despite concerns from documentation team leads and long-time contributors.

McKinnon framed the move as a shift toward top-down control and exclusion, which has already resulted in real harm, including abusive behavior behind the scenes. She also posted a comment that was later removed, which accused Hubbard of trying to undermine the documentation team’s autonomy.

Documentation Team Member Asked to Step Away

Today’s issue appears to have been triggered by a post announcing that Jenni McKinnon was asked to “step away” from the documentation team. The post explained that McKinnon’s comments were out of alignment with the team and that she was asked to stop posting such comments, but the behavior did not stop.

As a result, the team decided to ask her to step away for a period to reassess her involvement. The post may have precipitated today’s blow-up in the comments section of Mary Hubbard’s post.

Zooming Out: The Big Picture

What happened today is an isolated incident, but some in the WordPress community have confided their opinion that the WordPress core technical debt has grown larger, and concern that the big picture is being ignored. Separately, Estela Rueda alluded to the issue of burnout among WordPress contributors, stating that the number of contributors increases in waves, but those who stay longer often feel burned out and have to take breaks.

Taken together, today’s friction contributes to the appearance of cracks starting to show in the WordPress project. The incident highlights the need for better communication, collaboration, and governance within the WordPress core contributor team.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the conflict within the WordPress core contributor team is a complex issue with deep roots. The incident highlights the need for better communication, collaboration, and governance within the team. It also raises concerns about the sustainability of the WordPress project and the well-being of its contributors. As the WordPress community moves forward, it is essential to address these issues and work towards a more inclusive, transparent, and collaborative environment.